A New Threat
by Chiot Pelucheux
Summary: When Kagome leaves the Feudal Era she wants nothing more than to start her life over, but a new enemy, and new allies, make that a bit difficult. And Inuyasha isn't willing to be forgotten.
1. Running Away

**Disclaimer: Though I wish I did, I do not actually own Inuyasha.**

Kagome pulled herself out of the well slowly, her heart a cold lump in her stomach. It was over now. Naraku was dead. The jewel was complete. And Inuyasha had chosen Kikyo. Kikyo had won, she had lost. All she could do now was try and move on. And block the well as soon as possible. He'd been gone nearly a week, but eventually, she knew, Inuyasha would be looking for her; she hadn't said goodbye to anyone. Whatever. Not her problem now. She regretted that her sudden departure would hurt the others, but she couldn't think about that right now.

She slipped in the door quietly, leaving it open a crack. It was early, two or thereabouts, and everyone was asleep. She tiptoed into her room and filled her pack with fresh clothes, then dug out her purse, grabbing what little cash there was, and her credit card. She returned downstairs and scribbled a hasty note, which she left on the table: Mom- I'm back, safe. Need some time off, back in a few days, Kagome. Then, she slipped out the door again, shut it quietly, and began walking.

She laid down on the bed, staring up at the pattern the outside lights made on the ceiling. The hotel had been a good idea, she thought. No memories of home, the past, or him. It was sterile. And it had a great view, onto a downtown plaza where even this late people still wandered, chatting and laughing. She'd gotten the room for two nights, though it had cost a small fortune. Credit cards were truly amazing. Tomorrow, she decided, she'd go shopping. It had been a panacea for her, once upon a time. Right now, though, thinking in advance hurt, so she let herself escape into sleep.

Later that morning, Inuyasha jerked awake so violently that he nearly fell from his branch. Digging in with his claws, he growled down at Shippo, who was yelling at him and waving his arms around. Inuyasha sniffed the morning air, then scanned the campground quickly, searching for any obvious dangers. The only odd thing was that Kagome wasn't there. He vaulted out of the tree and landed near Shippo, who had ceased to jump and yell, but was now speaking rapidly and incoherently.

"What's going on, guys?" he asked, at a total loss. Sango and Miroku turned from the campfire and gave him cold glares. _What did I_ _do now,_ he wondered. Shippo continued to babble. Inuyasha crouched and grabbed Shippo, shaking him slightly. "Cut it out and tell me what's wrong." Shippo sat down, looking defeated, and shook his head. Miroku stood and crossed to the base of the tree.

"She's gone, without a word to any of us." Miroku crossed his arms and his look got even icier. "Now I wonder why that is. You are a fool, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha stared at him blankly, then grasped the most salient point. Kagome was gone. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sango beat him to it. "Don't even, Inuyasha. Nothing you say is going to fix it. Actions speak louder than words, isn't that the phrase? And all Kagome needed was for you to go wandering off with Kikyo the first chance you got, for an entire week, no less, _and_ for you to take the Sacred Jewel with you." Inuyasha tried to speak, but Sango interrupted. "Don't even try telling us that you weren't with her," she said angrily. "Inuyasha, we're not stupid!"

"I don't understand-" Inuyasha tried again.

"No!" cried Shippo, "Of course you don't. You never do. She loved you, Inuyasha, and gods know she had reason to believe you loved her, but you threw it in her face by brining you ex back to life. Why'd you even come back to camp? Why didn't you two run off into the sunset so we'd never have to see you again!" Overcome, he jumped into Sango's arms and buried his face in her shoulder.

"Hey wait just a damned minute, here! I didn't throw anything back into Kagome's face-"

"So you're saying you don't love her? You were just playing with her?" Miroku demanded, knuckles white on his staff.

"Would you quit interrupting me?" Inuyasha yelled. "Of course I love her." He paused and flushed, unused to admitting that out loud. "The reason I went of with Kikyo was to use the Jewel to put her to rest without hurting Kagome. For the two to continue in the same world would have been too much for both, they were both of equal strength, and eventually the soul would have split, destroying them both. Kikyo's purpose for remaining in this world was to avenge herself on Naraku. She and I both knew a long time ago that I would choose Kagome above all else, but I didn't need to flaunt that in front of Kikyo." He paused to draw a breath. Sango was still glaring at him, Miroku eyeing him with a hefty amount of suspicion, and Shippo was staring at him with teary eyes.

"Feh. Forget I said anything. I'll go get her, since that's the only way you're going to believe me anyhow." He turned on his heel and launched himself into the air, continuing on until he reached the well.

Kagome's scent was still fairly strong, so she hadn't been gone too long. Without hesitating, he jumped in. After landing, he sat for a second, thinking. Contrary to what his three friends believed, he did understand why Kagome would be upset. He knew it was his own fault for not telling her, but he hadn't been sure that in the end, Kikyo would go quietly, and he hadn't wanted Kagome to see him kill a woman he had once loved. Besides, he owed Kikyo some discretion, at least. Now, though, it was obvious that his caution had done more harm than good. And he had no idea how to fix it.


	2. What's a cottonpoly blend?

**A/N: **Sorry if this chapter is a little slow, but you have to understand that A) I am obsessed with Inuyasha in modern clothes, and B) I am obsessed with description. I promise it will get more exciting soon.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha.

"What the hell d'you mean 'she's gone'!" Inuyasha exclaimed. Kagome's mother flinched. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha, I don't know where she went or why. Her note said something about wanting a few days off. She must have come in sometime last night. Did something happen? Something bad, I mean?"

Inuyasha sighed, "No, there was something of a…er…misunderstanding. Kagome might believe something that isn't true, so I really need to talk to her. D'you have a hat I can borrow? I want to see if I can track her."

Kagome's mom nodded. "Yes. I have your usual hat, and after you made a habit of coming back, I took the liberty of getting you some normal clothes, just in case." She withdrew a carton from a closet with his green and black cap on top, and handed it to him. "You can change in Kagome's room. Just leave your things there, I doubt she'll mind."

Inuyasha took the box and went upstairs, glad to finally be doing something productive. Ten minutes later, he regarded himself critically in the mirror on the back of Kagome's door. It had taken him a while to figure it all out, and he was only seventy percent sure he'd done it right. He felt odd wearing jeans and a tee-shirt. The jeans felt comparatively tight and restricting, and there was an odd lump in his pocket from the Sacred Jewel, but when he stretched, they moved well enough with him. He wouldn't want to wear them in battle, but he doubted that would be necessary. The black shirt (the package said it was a cotton/poly blend crew neck tee, whatever that meant) was surprisingly comfortable, though the dark color contrasted starkly with his silvery hair. Unfortunately the hair was an attention getter, no matter what. He braided it, and it helped, marginally. Since he was only looking for Kagome, not doing battle with demons, he left the Tetsusaiga on her bed. He shrugged into a soft denim jacket and snugged the cap over his ears. Finally, he stepped into black flip-flops, wriggling his feet against the unfamiliar feel of rubber. He took one last look in the mirror, decided he looked passably modern, and left Kagome's room.

On his way downstairs, he encountered Sota, who did a classic double take. "_Inuyasha_?" he said incredulously. "Hey," Inuyasha replied, pleased with Sota's reaction.

"Are you going to look for Kagome?" Sota asked.

Inuyasha frowned at him. "Yeah."

"Did you make her mad again? What did you do this time?"

Inuyasha gave him a dirty look. "Whadya mean 'this time'? How often does she say we fight?"

"She never says anything, but it's usually kinda obvious."

Inuyasha had no idea how to reply to that, so he just nodded and walked out of the house. The day was sunny and warm, with big white fluffy clouds in the sky. There wasn't much wind, so all the scents of the city wouldn't interfere so much with tracking Kagome. He sniffed, but he was too close to her house, her scent was everywhere. He began walking, crossing to the front entrance of the shrine where the gift shop was. Kagome's grandpa stuck his head out the door and yelled after him: "I don't know what you did, boy, but you had better make it right, or so help me, I _will_ find a way to curse you!" Inuyasha flinched and hurried on.

Once he reached the street, he was able to pick up her scent trail. It was early enough that there was virtually nobody on the streets, so he was able to sniff her down without attracting too much attention. When he reached the shopping district, it was a different story. By then, it was mid morning, and the streets were full of people.

After being questioned by a man in uniform, Inuyasha gave up tracking her by scent and began looking for a place Kagome was likely to be. Unfortunately, everything was completely foreign to him. Store names were just words to him, nor did he have any idea what type of store she might go into. There were so many of them! Even if he had a clue as to where to start looking, the chances of him actually finding her were not good. Worse, actually. Damn near impossible. And the stench of so many people in one place was giving him a headache. Feeling depressed and overwhelmed, he sat on a bench to think.

* * *

Kagome dressed and exited the hotel with a new purpose in her stride. She would not be unhappy today. No. Today, she would shop. She managed eight stores before melancholy got the best of her, so she went into a café for lunch.

She sat gazing into her tea, trying very hard not to think about Inuyasha, and failing miserably at it. She couldn't even blame him, dammit. Kikyo was beautiful, smart, and a powerful priestess. Basically, she was everything Kagome wasn't. Well, maybe that wasn't quite true, but for Inuyasha it was, and that was what mattered. She probably would have picked Kikyo in Inuyasha's place, too. Especially with the Sacred Jewel. Kikyo and Inuyasha would have a second chance at the life Naraku had taken away, and she didn't have it in her to begrudge them that.

So why does it hurt so much, she asked herself. Because I love him, she replied. No, that's not it, said the first voice. She sighed and slumped into her chair, her eyes clouding with tears. Because I thought he loved me. See, that's why it hurts, the voice said. You were always a little jealous of Kikyo, but deep down, you honestly thought he'd pick you. That's why it hurts. Oh shut up, she told herself. I hate it when you're this reasonable.

To distract herself, she picked up the little plastic ad stand on the table and began reading it. She gasped when she saw what was on it, though. A picture of the Shikon Jewel. Underneath it was a description of a museum exhibit about the mythology of demons in Japan, including the story behind the jewel. Hurriedly she paid her bill and rushed to the nearest bus stop.

Twenty minutes later, she stood at the entrance to the exhibit. She took a deep breath, then wondered why she was nervous, she already knew more about demons than the people who made the exhibit. Shrugging, she stepped into the dark entrance.


	3. Lunch with Hojo

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

Inuyasha sat for maybe ten minutes, the lack of inspiration in the search for Kagome had led him to space out totally. His nose twitched at a familiar scent, and his ears flicked in the direction of a familiar voice. At long last, his brain caught up, and he whipped around to stare at the source. It was a girl that he had seen in Kagome's photo album, and even seen a couple of times at Kagome's house. She was with two other girls whom he also knew. She spared him an odd glance, then turned back to her friends.

"Hey, did you guys hear about that new exhibit at the museum? It's supposed to be really good. I think that we should go see it."

"That is so you, Ayumi. Only you would want to go see some boring old museum exhibit on a Saturday when there's so much shopping to be done."

"Yeah, Eri, you said it."

Inuyasha stood and began to follow them. Maybe they'd give him a hint about where to look for Kagome.

"Oh come one you guys! It's all about magic and myths and demons and all these amazing legends. I think it sounds cool. Besides, there's a part about the Shikon Jewel." Inuyasha nearly fell over in shock. "You know, that story Kagome told us once. We should really go see it so we can impress Kagome next time we see her. She's always so sick, that proving we take an interest in _her _interests would probably really cheer her up."

"Hey, you have a point there," said Eri. "Let's go. What do you think, Yuka?"

"I think that's a great idea. Besides, that story was really neat. I remember it."

Inuyasha's heart was racing. He had no idea what a museum or an exhibit was, but it was something about the Shikon Jewel, and that was all he needed to know. He was positive that was where Kagome would be.

* * *

Kagome wandered through the exhibit, reading all of the legends, and wondering how many were true. The creation of the jewel in the demon exterminators' village was there, and for the most part, accurate. It had been sensationalized over the past five hundred years, but that was probably a normal thing. Kikyo was mentioned, though not by name. She was described as the priestess assigned to protect the jewel, and how she lost the jewel and her life in battle with a demon. The entire ordeal with Naraku was summed up with a short story of a different priestess fighting an evil demon to retrieve the jewel, and that she was successful. Their rendition made it sound like it had taken three hours instead of three years.

The rest of the exhibit had profiles about specific demons and types of demons, and the heroes who destroyed them. Really, it was fascinating to see so many of the stories she'd experienced described from a modern perspective.

She sat on a bend in the last room of the exhibit, which featured artifacts from the era, and tried to wrap her head around reading about her life five hundred years in the past, when the events had literally just resolved days ago. That made her think too closely about Inuyasha, and tears clouded her eyes yet again.

"Kagome! Why are you here, and not at home getting dialysis?" A familiar voice behind her made her jump.

"Hojo, what are you doing here?" She asked in surprise, standing to face him.

"I came because I know you live at a shrine, and I thought that I would visit you afterward to tell you about it. Obviously that wasn't necessary. I really think you should be at home resting, though." His brow wrinkled in concern.

"Oh, don't worry about me, I feel great, the best I've felt in months," she waved her hand dismissively, trying to avoid lying to him.

"Do you want to get a snack at the café with me? I haven't eaten lunch yet." His eager expression was a little pathetic, and she gave in without a struggle.

"Sure. I need to find the washroom, and then I'll meet you there." She was genuinely looking forward to spending some time with Hojo. Inuyasha had always gotten in the way of that. Maybe it was time to actually give him a chance. He'd been so attentive, and patient.

"Great! Don't take too long." He smiled broadly at her, and left the exhibit. Kagome sighed, her optimism dissolving in her solitude, and stared blankly at a painting of a battle, supposedly over a jewel shard. In the foreground, soldiers and demons were busy slaughtering each other. A speck of red in the background caught her eye, and she moved closer to the painting. The person in red had silvery white hair, and a person with dark hair and green clothes stood next to him.

"Unbelievable," she breathed. Her eyes filled again, and she hurried out of the exhibit to meet Hojo before she had a nervous breakdown.

* * *

Inuyasha crouched doggy style on a roof top across from the museum. A man wearing a uniform had drug him out after he'd begun yelling at the guard that, no he didn't have any money, but this was really important. The girls had turned and looked at him strangely, and he gave in before he lost his hat and attracted even more attention.

Now, he was stuck out here until he figured out another way in. Dammit. And still no Kagome. His stomach clenched painfully. Dammit. He couldn't even blame her, gods knew he'd never wanted to be open about his feelings. If he'd died fighting Naraku, and Kagome had known exactly how much she meant to him, the guilt would have destroyed her. Or worse, she could have wound up doing something stupid and getting herself killed. And there had been Kikyo to consider. He'd loved her once, and he would never quite forget that. But Kagome was always so understanding, this time would be no different. He hoped.

* * *

Kagome sat with Hojo at the small café in the museum, trying to concentrate on her food and what Hojo was saying. But it was awfully difficult. Hojo was sweet, but a little boring. Her mind kept wandering and that painting kept popping into her head, accompanied by thoughts of Inuyasha.

Abruptly a cold, oppressive feeling hit her like a slap. She straightened and looked around, wild eyed. It was a demonic aura, a very powerful one, and very malevolent.

"Kagome? What's the matter?" Hojo asked, concern filling his voice. "Wow, did you feel how cold it just got in here?" He rubbed his arms and looked around.

"Yeah. Hang on, Hojo, I'll be right back." She stood and tried to locate where the aura was emanating from. It was coming from the direction of the exhibit, and she began walking as quickly as possible towards it.

"Kagome, wait. I'm coming with you. Something feels funny." He laughed nervously. "That probably sounds crazy to you."

"No, not especially." He gave her a funny look, and she bit her lip. "Forget it."

She followed the aura into the exhibit, but was run down by Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi. They landed in a heap, and when the three girls realized who she was, they all began talking at once.

"Oh my god, Kagome-"

"We've got to get-"

"Something in there-"

They were all interrupted by a resounding crash that shook the Plexiglas in the display cases, and then the demonic aura became overpowering. Kagome swooned and collapsed to the floor.

* * *

Five minutes earlier, the roof across the street had been vacated. Inuyasha had waited on the roof, tapping his foot impatiently and growling softly, thinking thatwhatever this exhibit thing was, surely it couldn't take this long to look at. He'd given up, deciding he would wait for her at her house, and jumped away across the roof tops. 


End file.
